Beer Calories & Carbs

by
JESSICA BRUSO Oct. 03, 2017

A bartender pours a German beer.
Photo Credit: Vicheslav/iStock/Getty Images

When counting calories, people sometimes forget to take into consideration the calories in the beverages they drink. Depending on the type of beer you choose, the calorie content can vary considerably. While most of the calories in beer come from the alcohol, which provide 7 calories per gram, beers that are higher in calories also tend to be higher in carbohydrates.

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Calorie and Carbohydrate Comparisons

Light beer has an average 103 calories per can, including 5.8 grams of carbohydrates, depending on the brand. Choose regular beer and you'll be consuming an average of 153 calories and 12.6 grams of carbohydrates. Non-alcoholic beer is lowest in calories, with about 72 calories per 12-ounce can, because it doesn't contain any alcohol. When you look at specific varieties of beer, lager is relatively low in calories, with about 120 calories per can. Stronger beers, which are higher in alcohol, and stout are best avoided if you're watching your calories because they contain about 180 and 190 calories per can, respectively.